Unit 6: Language and Millennium Development Goals PDF

Unit 6 Language and Millennium Development Goals UNIT OVERVIEW What is Millennium Development Golds (MDGs)? In 1992, the largest-ever gathering of world leaders took place at a summit in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil: 117 heads of state attended and a total of 178 countries were rep...

Unit 6 Language and Millennium Development Goals UNIT OVERVIEW What is Millennium Development Golds (MDGs)? In 1992, the largest-ever gathering of world leaders took place at a summit in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil: 117 heads of state attended and a total of 178 countries were represented. The summit aimed to address the twin issues of promoting worldwide economic development and protecting the environment – including tropical rain forests, biodiversity and reducing global warming While many good intentions were expressed, there was a lack of firm commitments, and the event was criticized by poorer countries (Less Economically Developed Countries, or LEDCs) for placing the responsibility for environmental protection on them, without the necessary support from the More Economically Developed Countries (MEDCs). Five years later, in 1997, world leaders again met in Kyoto, Japan. This meeting aimed to build on the Rio agreements, placing more specific targets for countries to achieve. Its most important, yet contentious, aim was the worldwide reduction of greenhouse gases (to 5.2 per cent below their 1990 levels) in order to slow down the rate of global warming. Some LEDCs thought that restricting the fossil fuels they burnt would also restrict their development and they were unhappy that they had to suffer for the overuse of fossil fuels by the MEDCs. But some MEDCs were also unhappy about reducing their fossil fuel use because they believed it would have a bad effect on their economies It took a long time and a lot of renegotiation, but 178 countries eventually agreed to a final, watered-down version of the treaty in 2001, though importantly not the USA, the world's biggest polluter. While the final version of the Kyoto Treaty was being negotiated, another important agreement was being developed. This time, the development needs of the LEDCs were to be at the heart of the discussions. At this summit, held in New York, September 2000, known as the Millennium Summit, every country in the UN agreed to continue working towards global development and the elimination of poverty. The following year, guidelines were drawn up to help governments to continue their development work: these are known as the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). These eight goals help to focus the world's community on improving the lives of millions of people by, for example, aiming to halve the number of people living in absolute poverty by 2015 and reduce by two-thirds the proportion of children dying before the age of five. Ultimately, the MDGs will help to concentrate the international community's efforts on issues that matter most to the world's poorest children - like whether they eat nutritious food or whether they go to bed at night hungry; whether they stay healthy or whether they even live to see their next birthday. When the next World Summit took place in 2002, in Johannesburg, South Africa, the agenda continued to focus on LEDCs achieving sustainable development, though its targets are less ambitious than the MDGs. The MDGs remain the most comprehensive list of aims ever agreed. The first seven MDGs reinforce each other and aim to reduce all forms of poverty, while goal eight - a global partnership for development describes how the world's richer countries can contribute to achieve these goals. All 191 United Nations member states, and at least 22 international organizations, committed to help achieve the following Millennium Development Goals by 2015: 1. To eradicate extreme poverty and hunger 2. To achieve universal primary education 3. To promote gender equality and empower women 4. To reduce child mortality 5. To improve maternal health 6. To combat HIV/AIDS, malaria, and other diseases 7. To ensure environmental sustainability 8. To develop a global partnership for development Each goal had specific targets, and dates for achieving those targets. The 8 goals were measured by 21 targets and in this unit we will explore on the roles of language in the attainment of the Millennium Development Goals. LANGUAGE AND MILLENIUM DEVELOPMENT GOALS Learning Competencies At the end of the lesson, you are expected to: a. Discuss on why language matters for MDG, b. explore the importance of languages in relation to the MDG; and, c. reflect on practices, issues and challenges of language in the MDGs. INTRODUCTION Why Languages Matter? Languages are dynamic because people and their culture constantly adapt in response to the world around them. Language development is a tool that can help build a communication bridge between local and global communities. The Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) are a set of shared aspirations and efforts to make the world a more equitable and sustainable place. At the heart of the goals is the recognition that for this global initiative to be effective, all people need to be included. Language is the key to inclusion. Language is at the center of human activity, self- expression and identity (UNESCO Bangkok, 2012). Recognizing the primary importance that people place on their own language fosters the kind of true participation in development that achieves lasting results. MDGs, according to Fagboungbe (2007) is not just a slogan but a sign of commitment of world leaders to the emancipation of the populace from poverty, illiteracy, diseases etc. The attainment of these goals is sequel to the commitment of government of nations not only in term of commitment of resources but also in making adequate plan for sensitization in term of effective use of language. Language therefore remains a veritable tool(s) that should be considered and adopted for use in achieving the MDG goals. Study the photos below. Decide which eight (8) goals it seems most applicable and your appropriate solution. Write your answers in the space provided below. 1.  2. 3. 4. 5. ______________________________________________________________________________ Let us take a closer look into how languages matter in achieving MDGs and policies and practices of neighboring ASEAN countries. Language is a key to national development; thus, the reason while the National Policy on Education (NPE) emphasizes the roles of language in achieving the national education goals. The global efforts at ensuring that all countries enjoy robust growth and development is evident in the global strategies adopted for the achievement of the MDG. Therefore, many countries are struggling to get the goals achieved without adequate attention paid to the roles language could play in this regard. For the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) to be effective, all people need to be included. Language is the key to inclusion and at the center of human activity, self-expression and identity. It showcases how language fosters participation in development with lasting results. Convinced that language is a vital tool for the achievement of the MDGs, hundreds of educators, development workers, linguists, government workers and civil society delegates gathered at a conference in Bangkok in 2010. Participants reported on the many ways in which language makes a difference to people’s lives across Asia and beyond and affirmed the significant role of languages in tackling poverty, gender inequality, HIV and AIDS, and maternal and child health. Here is the view of the contribution of language policy and best practices (*highlighted) of ASEAN countries in attaining each goals: Goal 1: Eradicate Poverty and Hunger Why language is important? People’s languages are vitally important to them. Through language, people communicate, share meaning and experience their sense of individual and community identity (Bardon, 2015).  Loss of language and culture is frequently accompanied by large human and social costs, including poverty, poor health, drug and alcohol abuse, family violence and suicide. Recognizing the profound importance that people place on their languages are a core insight for tackling poverty and hunger. It is an important part of the move away from “top down” models of development that have been shown not to work, and towards participatory development models, which often do. Properly conducted participatory development brings improved outcomes both in the short- and long-term. According to one study, development initiatives that sought beneficiaries’ involvement achieved 68 percent success, while those that did not achieved a success rate of just 10 percent. Genuine participation obviously relies on a two-way communication, which means engaging with the languages people actually speak. This requires consideration and planning at the levels of both policy and practice. Policy makers who understand the vital role of languages help to create better development planning. They are aware that focusing on languages has obvious beneficial results for communications and participation targets. They know that opportunities may be lost when the role of language is forgotten. Policy Policy makers who understand the vital role of languages help to create better development planning. They are aware that focusing on languages has obvious beneficial results for communications and participation targets. They know that opportunities may be lost when the role of language is forgotten. In 2005, a key study looked at how national poverty reduction strategies deploy communications.4 It recommended that poverty reduction plans should include a strong emphasis on engaging with local languages. The authors noted that, “Language... has a very influential role in fostering the process of an informed public dialog and debate”. Language is still rarely explicitly articulated in key international and national poverty reduction documents, or in communications planning. This means insufficient attention is given to the unique situations of ethnolinguistic minorities and the particular problems they face in being included in development processes. Some countries are moving towards more recognition of the language issue at policy level, however. The recent poverty reduction strategy paper of Bangladesh, for example, recognizes the importance of mother tongue languages for minority peoples (Adivasi). There is still a long way to go in implementing that recognition, but an important step has been taken. Practice  Project experiences using local languages, including successes and failures, are as yet rarely documented. Around the world, at any given time, countless initiatives tackling poverty and hunger are engaging with people in the local languages with which they are most familiar. However, most of this language engagement happens at an informal level. Initiatives that have placed a strong emphasis on articulating language as a central aspect of their development-related goals often report very positive results. Goal 2: Achieve Universal Primary Education Why language is important? Many children struggle at school when they are forced to learn in languages that are not their mother tongue. School systems that do not use learners’ own languages or respect their cultures make it extremely difficult for children to stay in school and learn. For individuals, communities and even whole ethnic minority groups, this contributes to perpetuating cycles of marginalization and discrimination. For countries, excluding large portions of the population from their right to good quality education can delay economic growth and perpetuate conflict and political instability. A growing body of research worldwide demonstrates that instruction in the mother tongue, beginning in the first years of school and continuing for as long as possible, helps girls and boys in numerous ways. Teaching children for a recommended six to eight years in their mother tongue – as well as gradually introducing national or other dominant languages (sometimes called Mother Tongue-Based Multilingual Education) – has the following outcomes: Children receive a good foundation When taught first in their own languages, children learn better, are more self-confident and are well equipped to transfer their literacy and numeracy skills to additional languages. Children perform better Evidence from linguistically diverse countries worldwide shows that children taught first in their most familiar language are more likely to thrive and excel in school. Fewer children repeat grades Studies have found that children who start formal education in a second or foreign language are more likely to repeat school years. Fewer children drop out of school  Children who start formal education in a second or foreign language are much more likely to experience frustration and failure, resulting in higher dropout rates for these children. Worldwide, some 50 percent of out-of-school children use a language at home that is not the language used in school. Children have more family support When children learn in their mother tongue, parents and families can be involved and support their education. When children are learning in a second or foreign language, families are often excluded from the process. Cycles of exclusion are broken By including families and drawing on local cultural heritage, mother tongue-based education contributes to communities’ social and cultural well-being and fosters inclusiveness within the wider society. Policy National education policies that prioritize learning in the mother tongue within a strategy to improve educational quality and access are in the political and economic interests of countries with high levels of linguistic diversity. Sometimes governments fear that mother tongue-based education may have negative socio- political effects. And sometimes parents fear that mother tongue-based education may exclude their child from learning the dominant languages in their country, which are often pathways to jobs and wider opportunities. A wide body of research suggests that in both cases the opposite is true. Fostering mother tongue-based education helps to reduce alienation and conflict. It better equips children to learn national and international languages, and improves overall performance. Finland, for example, is a leader in mother tongue-based education and also in academic excellence of secondary school children. In the Asia-Pacific region, in 2009 the Philippines adopted a policy to institutionalize mother tongue-based multilingual education in all public and private schools, from pre-school to high school. Announcing the new policy, the Department of Education stated, “The lessons and findings of various local initiatives and international studies in basic education have validated the superiority of the use of the learner’s mother tongue or first language in improving learning outcomes and promoting Education for All. Development partners can support governments by promoting the use of appropriate languages as a central pillar in achieving education quality and inclusion. They can, for example, allocate a percentage of pooled education funds and basic education budgets to the development of mother tongue-based multilingual teaching and learning systems. In addition, they can work to ensure that coverage of primary education in the mother tongue is highlighted as an indicator of education quality. Practice Many mother tongue-based education initiatives in developing and middle-income countries are, as yet, on a small scale. “Scaling up” such initiatives will be vital as countries strive to achieve MDG 2. There are many examples of successful mother tongue-based multilingual education programmers being implemented around the world. In the Asia-Pacific region, for example, programmers have been implemented or are being planned in Bangladesh, Cambodia, China, India, Papua New Guinea, the Philippines, the Solomon Islands, Thailand and Viet Nam, to name a few. Goal 3: Promote Gender Equality and Empower Women Why language is important? The ability to access education and information in their own languages is vital for the empowerment of women. Education for girls Research into bilingual education in Africa and Latin America has found that girls who learn first in familiar languages stay in school longer and are more likely to be identified as good students. They do better on achievement tests and repeat grades less often than girls who do not get instruction in their mother tongue. Education for women Improving adult women’s immediate situations is vital to achieving development goals. There are many examples of how boosting women’s literacy in their own language, in combination with livelihood initiatives, improves their economic position, enhances their decision-making role at home and in the community, and impacts favorably on the way families bring up their children. Providing women with information and support in their own language on how to protect themselves and girls from violence, domestic abuse and other forms of maltreatment can also have a great impact on helping women improve their lives. Policy National education policies Girls are helped by national education policies that recognize the need for mother tongue- based multilingual education. Educators have shown that mother tongue-based education helps girls perform better, feel more confident and stay in school longer. They believe that the positive impact of mother tongue-based education may be even stronger for girls than for boys and have called for more research to add to the evidence for this. Educators also point out that teachers who use the language of the home are more easily able to foster good relationships with pupils’ families. Such relationships often enhance girls’ attendance at school and help mitigate against a range of factors that may result in girls leaving the school system early. National literacy programs Women’s lives can be improved rapidly by literacy programs focusing on local languages, preferably in combination with other participatory initiatives that enhance livelihoods. Effective literacy initiatives need to be rooted in understanding and knowledge of the local language, and local beliefs, culture, power relationships and problem-solving systems. Language investigation, for example, can reveal important barriers and opportunities for women. Practice As awareness grows that empowering women is one of the fastest ways to improve overall conditions for families and communities, more attention is also being paid to the importance of local languages as part of the process. Goals 4 and 5: Reduce Child Mortality and Improve Mental Health Why language is important? Better health outcomes are also achieved by improving genuine educational opportunities for ethnic minority girls and women. The impacts of literate, educated mothers on their communities in terms of better health have been well-documented. Many lives can be saved through women receiving better information on, for example, nutrition, the important role of breastfeeding for child health, and how to prevent and treat infections, diarrhea and malaria. Women need to receive health information in a language that is familiar to them and in ways that engage with their cultural context. Research in South-East Asia found that many ethnic minority people identified language as a major constraint to accessing health services. For many highland minorities, the national language was in effect a “foreign language”. The research concluded that, “In the health sector, patients and providers need to be able to communicate... A health provider who does not speak the same language as the patient may have difficulties in diagnosing and curing a health problem, or in sharing health information. And without communication, it is difficult for patients to develop a sense of trust. This has negative effects on the health-seeking behavior of the ethnic minority population.” Policy Recognize the role of training indigenous health workers who speak to women in their own languages, and promoting intercultural approaches to health care. Recognizing the importance of language in national health policies and strategies is vital to ensure that all people, including marginalized women, are reached. Researchers have provided many examples of health successes as a result of focused engagement with local languages. For example, in a province of Lao PDR, there was much greater participation and enthusiasm among Hmong and Khmu ethnic populations, and a reduction in malaria and diarrhea, after a local primary health care provider worked with local ethnic groups to produce videos, story boards and other health education materials in the local languages. TV, radio, songs, video and community theater have all been used effectively to introduce health messages too hard to reach populations and where there is a lack of literacy. In Bangladesh, for example, UNICEF supported popular community theater in local languages in remote ethnic areas to highlight "how hand washing helps to prevent diarrhea" and "how covering the mouth when coughing or sneezing helps prevent the spread of respiratory diseases". Practice Local language discussions are a route to better health Muslim Mindanao is linguistically and ethnically diverse and has one of the highest reported instances of child and maternal mortality in the Philippines. One project recognized the importance of local language and culture for community participation and engagement with potential solutions. It initiated an approach called “‘Tumpukan Na!’” (community discussion sessions) that incorporated and built on community traditions to hold lively talk sessions on health topics such as vitamin A supplements, immunization, breastfeeding and maternal care. The discussions elicited levels of community understanding around specific health issues and, importantly, identified key local words and concepts on health matters. The result was increased uptake by the local community of existing health services and more proactive demands from the community for services. When midwives and patients share a language, there are better results Research shows that one of the most important interventions for safe motherhood is to make sure that a trained health provider with midwifery skills is present at every birth. In Viet Nam, five to seven women die every day due to complications in pregnancy or childbirth. The highest numbers of deaths are in remote and mountainous ethnic minority areas, partly due to a shortage of skilled birth attendants and healthcare workers. Also, cultural barriers in those areas keep many women from using reproductive health services. To address this issue, the government and international development partners are supporting an initiative to train local women to become village-based midwives. The new midwives’ understanding of the language, culture, and belief systems of their patients is key to gaining trust and encouraging women to receive appropriate health services. “ Goal 6: Combat HIV and AIDS, Malaria, and Other Diseases Why Language Important? People in ethnolinguistic minority communities are especially vulnerable to HIV and AIDS, malaria and other health challenges due in part to the lack of essential information provided in their own languages, in a culturally sensitive manner and by people they trust. The complexity of, and the stigma often associated with, HIV and AIDS makes the way we communicate about the issues particularly important. Educational campaigns on HIV can help dispel fear and stigma and encourage people to access services and treatment. But – developed and presented inappropriately – they can further marginalize and stigmatize vulnerable communities and create further obstacles to information and services. Moreover, people in ethnolinguistic minority communities can be especially vulnerable to HIV and AIDS, malaria and other diseases due in part to the lack of essential information provided in their own languages, in a culturally sensitive manner and by people they trust. Programs must be tailored to the cultural specificities of a community to be most relevant and effective. This is perhaps most important in the context of HIV and AIDS, where understandings of health, relationships, individual and social choices, and behaviors are strongly influenced by culture. Policy Communication strategies to improve health outcomes have to define messages that are understandable, relevant to the target audience, based on available evidence, appropriate to the local culture, and in local languages. National policies on HIV and AIDS, malaria and other diseases, must consider how the language used can influence health outcomes. For example, AIDS is often referred to as a ‘deadly, incurable disease’, but this may create fear and increase stigma and discrimination. With advances in anti-retroviral treatment, HIV has also been referred to as a ‘manageable, chronic illness, much like hypertension or diabetes’ – but this may lead people to believe that it is not as serious as they thought. Research shows that messages are most readily trusted and accepted when the source of the information is familiar and known to the recipient. Messages perceived as coming entirely from the “outside”, with no local connection, are more likely to fail.37 Local participations in the production as well as the reception of messages is vital. This means working with and listening to communities in their own languages, to find the most appropriate and acceptable ways to introduce health messages, and to ensure that all members of the community, including women and girls, are reached. Finally, the medium can often be just as important as the message. Radio, video, community-based discussions and community theater in local languages can be strong tools to access and communicate with ethnolinguistic minority and other marginalized communities. Practice Soap operas focus on HIV and AIDS and health messages In order to reach remote populations that have little information on HIV and AIDS but are vulnerable to the spread of the virus, several radio soap operas were produced in over a dozens of different ethnic languages in Cambodia, China (Yunnan and Sichuan provinces), Lao PDR and Thailand. The programs were developed following the UNESCO 12-step methodology for the production of research-based culturally and linguistically appropriate materials. Local researchers, authors and actors worked together to develop popular radio dramas which presented key HIV and AIDS and health messages in an attractive format. After listening to the soap opera, the knowledge of the audience regarding HIV and AIDS transmission and protection increased sharply. The projects demonstrated the crucial importance of research and testing to avoid misunderstandings and ensure the messages are effective, relevant and popular with audiences. Working in local languages helps fight malaria Though the use of specially-treated bed nets has been shown to be the most effective known barrier against malaria, many remote and vulnerable communities worldwide have been reluctant to use the nets, often because they traditionally did not connect mosquitoes with the disease. One group of researchers worked closely with small communities of highland Akha and Lau people in the Mekong region to understand local traditions and beliefs and how these related to bed net use. They realized that innovations such as bed nets would only work if they fit in with, and were a part of, the community’s systems of values and meanings, most of which find their strongest expression in stories and especially in ceremonies. Over long periods of trust building, discussion, and story-telling and the holding of eventually a large local community ceremony around bed nets, the use of the nets increased. The incidence of malaria was reported to have been reduced by around 50 percent.  Goal 7: Ensure Sustainable Development Why language is important? Sustainable development needs the participation of all groups, especially ethnolinguistic minorities who depend on healthy ecosystems for their survival and future.41 Yet minorities’ distance from the world’s centers and languages of decision-making and power makes them vulnerable to exclusion and marginalization. Language has an important part to play in minorities’ participation in the development process. Researchers who focused on the importance of language for sustainable development in communities in Ivory Coast, Namibia and Indonesia have pointed out that failure to engage with the minority languages only increases minority peoples’ exclusion. They highlight the positive aspects of “communicative sustainability” over the negative results of “communicative dependency” and conclude that local languages are a key resource. Participation in sustainable development starts with people discussing matters in their own languages, within their own cultural, social and community structures. From there, they can move on to wider engagement on issues that are generally conducted in the languages of development and power. Education is also vitally important for minorities’ participation in the development process. Children who receive a strong educational foundation in their mother tongue are in the best position to move forward with confidence, to learn other languages, and to make a contribution to their societies’ future. Strengthening early education helps to equip young people and communities with sufficient knowledge, capacity and self-confidence to engage in decision- making about development and to protect their rights. For adults, literacy and lifelong education programmers can increase inclusion in development and decision-making processes. Finally, Education for Sustainable Development (ESD), promoted in local languages, supports stakeholders of all kinds to learn about and take action on sustainability issues Policy Local languages are a crucial element in policy and planning for participatory sustainable development. National education policies that strengthen mother tongues in early education are essential to strengthen local communities and increase their inclusion. Research shows that education helps in many other ways too; it can, for example, improve agricultural productivity, enhance the status of women, reduce population growth rates, enhance environmental protection, and generally raise the standard of living.43 In addition, promoting ESD within education systems can help people engage in the search for sustainable solutions at the community and wider levels. Practice Language documentation strengthens communities Language documentation is often an important first step for strengthening local communities and their engagement in development issues. Through language documentation, local communities, often working with ethnographers, uncover and record endangered cultural, environmental and other forms of local knowledge. The process bolsters the self-esteem of people in marginalized groups, enhances people’s awareness of their shared historical knowledge systems, and places them in a stronger position to participate in decision-making and negotiations on the issues that have an impact on them. Local language is a springboard to sustainable solutions The Apus Palamguwan Cultural Education Center works in the local mother tongue for sustainable development among the Bukidnon Pulangiyan people in Mindanao. Community schools strengthen the mother tongue in primary education, and there is literacy education for adults in the mother tongue, in combination with education for sustainable livelihoods, and cultural celebration. Working in the local language, the community has engaged with broader opportunities around education and human development, and continues to draw from its traditional values and concepts. The concept of “Culture-Based Education” (CBE) has a powerful resonance within the community. A strong sense of cultural identity is essential in building the community’s sense of belonging in the broader society and with the national language. CBE maintains that using the mother tongue is important not just because it helps children learn, but because it is where the people’s wisdom, values and meanings can be found. Much of the learning draws on experiences with water, land and all life in the community, giving an integrated basis for understanding science and adapting to ecological and climate change. Studying one’s own culture is also a pathway to understanding other things, including mainstream knowledge such as math and other languages. Minority language focus helps build human security The importance of local languages is a key theme running through a range of initiatives to improve minorities’ access to education, health information and skills training. There is support for local language radio and television to provide key economic, health, educational and other information. Minority languages are being given increased recognition and support in child education, in non-formal adult education, and in skills training and identifying business opportunities. The project is intended to strengthen Mongolia’s current and future policy and practice in support of all the MDGs, especially MDG 7, and it is hoped that its focus on local languages will provide useful learning for policy makers.  Goal 8: Foster Global Partnerships for Development Why Language is important? ICT can be a powerful tool for sharing knowledge and information in pursuit of development goals, and partnerships between public and private sectors must be strengthened to ensure equitable access to and relevance and quality of ICT for all minorities. Developing and providing materials and software in local languages fosters participation and inclusion of minorities. In education, various countries are recognizing that ICT can facilitate learning among traditionally excluded populations such as girls and women, ethnic minorities and persons with disabilities. As a result, pilot, internet-based education initiatives are enhancing access to education for those groups. Policy National ICT policies that support increased access, improved governance and infrastructural supports, and the localization of materials and software help pave the way for greater inclusion for all groups, including rural and minority populations, in health, education and livelihood development. Practice Health messages reach population via mobile phone Project Masiluleke (Project M) in South Africa sends out important health information in phone text messages in local languages. South Africa has 11 officially recognized languages, and in order to reach as many people as possible, the project has acknowledged that it is crucial for people to be addressed in a language they understand. Since October 2008, Project M has sent out more than 1 billion short message service (SMS) text messages to the general public on HIV and AIDS, resulting in a huge volume of calls to the national AIDS hotline. The project has reported a greater increase in calls when messages are received in vernacular languages such as Zulu, compared with when they are sent in English. Let us affirm your understanding with following tasks Activity 1: The role of language in attaining goals serves as key to inclusion and at the center of human activity, self-expression and identity. Aside from policies and practices on the role of language placed by the ASEAN countries mentioned in this module, interview your Baranggay Chairman or Sangguniang Kabataan (SK) Chairman on your community’s policy and practice on the role of language in accomplishing MDG in your Barangay. Goals Policy and Practice To eradicate extreme poverty and hunger To achieve universal primary education To promote gender equality and empower women To reduce child mortality To improve maternal health To combat HIV/AIDS, malaria, and other diseases To ensure environmental sustainability Activity 2: #Postit! You are fond of using social media to express your thoughts about different issues. Your task is to upload slogan (graphics or photo) with hashtag #MDGoals and explain how language matter in achieving MDGs. Activity 1: As part of global community that cater young generation, institutions are mandated to implement policy and practice as a help to accomplish the Millennium Development Goal (Sardon, 2015). With the role of language, how did your campus implements policies and practices and what do you think are the best activities to achieve MDGs? Accomplish the table with necessary information. Goals Policy and Practice Suggestions To eradicate extreme poverty and hunger To achieve universal primary education To promote gender equality and empower women To reduce child mortality To improve maternal health To combat HIV/AIDS, malaria, and other diseases To ensure environmental sustainability To develop a global partnership for development. Activity 2: Every after 5-7 years, UNESCO in partnership with ASEAN countries, revised developmental goals based on status quo and social needs. Assuming you will be part of the said committee, what do you think is the social aspect that needs to be focused on. Accomplish the table with necessary information. Name of the Goal Objective Policy and Practice Role of Language Direction: Determine what is being asked. Write the letter of your choice in the space provided for. 1. In education, various countries are recognizing that ICT can facilitate learning among traditionally excluded populations such as girls and women, ethnic minorities and persons with disabilities. As a result, pilot, internet-based education initiatives are enhancing access to education for those groups. With the role of technology and language, what’s the goal of the given situation? a. To foster global partnerships for development b. To combat HIV, Aids and other diseases c. To reduce child mortality d. To achieve universal primary education 2. A program facilitated by the organization URMUL Seemant Samiti, working with women embroiderers in the Thar desert of India, began by holding discussions in the local language around ways in which women could gain more control of markets for their beautiful embroidery. With the role of livelihood and language, what’s the goal of given situation? a. To combat HIV, Aids, and other diseases b. To reduce child mortality c. To achieve universal primary education d. To promote gender equality and empower women 3. The Greater Mekong region is highly ethnically and linguistically diverse. In order to reach remote populations that have little information on HIV and AIDS but are vulnerable to the spread of the virus, several radio soap operas were produced in over a dozens of different ethnic languages in Cambodia, China (Yunnan and Sichuan provinces), Lao PDR and Thailand. Thus, their target is? a. To promote gender equality and empower women b. To achieve universal primary education c. To combat HIV, Aids, and other diseases d. To ensure sustainable development 4. The Apu Palamguwan Cultural Education Center works in the local mother tongue for sustainable development among the Bukidnon Pulangiyan people in Mindanao. Community schools strengthen the mother tongue in primary education, and there is literacy education for adults in the mother tongue, in combination with education for sustainable livelihoods, and cultural celebration. Overall, what criteria in MDG are they trying to reach? a. To ensure sustainable development b. To promote gender equality and empower women c. To improve maternal health d. To achieve universal primary education 5. A project working to improve the situation of the Kol and Koda minority people in Bangladesh found that the communities were losing engagement with their mother tongue but were also not proficient in the dominant language, Bangla. This placed them at multiple disadvantages. Thus, a joint project of SIL Bangladesh and Food for the Hungry placed importance on strengthening the mother tongue, while also focusing on enabling the communities to take ownership of the development process through participation. This activity aligns with the objective of MDG to? a. To achieve universal primary education b. To eradicate poverty and hunger c. To promote gender equality and empower women d. To ensure sustainable development For items 6-10, determine whether the statement is true or false. Write T if the statement is true and write F if it is false. Write your answer in the space provided before the number. 6. The Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) are set of shared aspirations and efforts to make the world a more asymmetrical and sustainable place. 7. On Goal 03; Empower women, effective literacy initiatives need to be rooted in understanding and knowledge of the local language, and local beliefs, culture, power relationships and problem-solving systems.  8. On Goal 07; ensure sustainable development, local languages are imperative element in policy and planning for participatory sustainable development. 9. On Goal 01; eradicate poverty and hunger, deserting the multifaceted importance that people place on their languages are a core insight for tackling poverty and hunger. 10. Recognizing the primary importance that people place on their own language fosters the kind of true participation in development that achieves lasting results. Congratulations! We’re halfway done in this course. You have tackled the sixth module for this course. time, reflect on your learnings in this module. Put your reflections on the boxes following the guide statements: I am certain that I I think there is still a I could apply what I learned about… need to learn more learned by… about…  References: 1. Barron, Sandy. (2010, November 05). Language Matters for Millennium Development Goals. https://unesdoc.unesco.org/ark:/48223/pf0000215296 2. Edoimioya, P. (2014). Language and the Realization of Millennium Development Goals (Mdgs). 1. 3159-40. 3. Edwards, V. (2004).Multilingualism in the English-speaking world. Oxford, UK: Blackwell ESP World, Issue 1 4. Kavaliauskiene, G. (2009). Role of mother-tongue in learning English for specific purposes 5. Koïchiro Matsuura. (2010). Why Language Matter: Meeting Millennium Development Goals through local studies. https://www.sil.org/sites/default/files/mdg_booklet_2014_english_web.pdf